Painting a Watercolour Travel Journal

If you’re keen to start a watercolour travel journal, you’re probably asking yourself plenty of questions: which sketchbook should you choose? What brush size should you take? What subjects work well in a travel journal? What can you include?

Like many people, you’re excited—but perhaps also a little hesitant. I’ve been there! That’s why I’m sharing my experience of painting outdoors, along with my tips to help you get started.

Here, I’m talking about painting on location. The goal? To get the process going, enjoy some time outside, train your eye and your brushwork to simplify, and capture memories from your outings. Once you’ve developed a few painting habits and become familiar with your materials, you’ll be able to create a journal of your travels—or your everyday life—by painting quickly, perhaps not in the most comfortable conditions, but without pressure!

In the article:

• Getting Started and Accepting Imperfection
• Choosing a Subject
• Composing Your Travel Journal
• Materials for Painting Outdoors

Note: You can also create a travel journal by painting from photos later on, in a calm setting. I’ll probably write an article about that, but in the meantime, you can explore my Colours & Landscapes course dedicated to painting from photos, or my Watercolour Basics course if you're a complete beginner.

Getting Started and Accepting Imperfection

This is my number one tip, because it’s a real sticking point

Many of you tell me you don’t dare get started. I understand—I've been painting for six years and only recently began painting outdoors. To be honest, I didn’t really see the appeal at first. Between the comfort of my fully equipped desk and the idea of being poorly set up and risking “failed” paintings, the choice felt obvious!

What finally pushed me to take the plunge is realising that sketching on location is more about the moment than the outcome. The goal is to enjoy the experience and capture a sensory memory rather than create something perfect. If your journal turns out beautifully, that’s almost a bonus! And even if things don’t go as planned, your pages will reflect your progress—because I’m sure you’ll keep going and improve.

If you’re reading this, the idea is already tempting you—and I’m certain you’re capable of much more than you think.

If you already paint at home, expect a different result

On the one hand, sketchbook paper dries more quickly, making blends less smooth. You may get blooms or backruns, but as I often say, they’re actually very interesting in watercolour and can create lovely textures. Embrace them—they’ll give your journal character.

On the other hand, without the support of a desk, your hand may feel less steady. Aim for spontaneity and let your brush guide you. Work with patches of colour and broad shapes rather than trying to produce a precise drawing.

And if you’re worried about people watching you, a small sketchbook helps you stay discreet. Painting with a friend can also make you feel more at ease.

Choosing a Subject

Start simple

Changing your environment is already a challenge, so begin with subjects you’re comfortable with or that don’t require complex composition. For example, you can simply paint the colours you observe or focus on plants—an essential subject for outdoor painting and perfect for beginners.

Don’t necessarily “draw” everything: look for shapes and lively brushstrokes first, then add details afterwards.

Personally, I like to sketch loosely with the brush and leave some areas as line work. It’s a quick style that adds variety by contrasting with blocks of colour.

Gradually, you can move on to more technical subjects (multi-layered landscapes, objects). I recommend approaching urban scenes in a simple, minimal way, without too much perspective—it’s a tricky skill, especially on location!

If the blank page feels intimidating

On the side of your page, paint the colours you plan to use. This helps kick-start the process, lets you test your palette, and also decorates your page nicely.

If you need guidance choosing colours, you can check out my article 5 tips for painting a watercolour landscape, where I share key principles and tips for creating balanced palettes, whether realistic or imaginative.

Composing Your Travel Journal

There are many sketchbook formats. I recommend starting small (A5 or A6), then going bigger if you wish.

Smaller formats are easy to carry, more affordable, and comfortable to handle. Your choice will depend on what you’re used to—you might prefer square, portrait, landscape, or panoramic formats.

My A6 sketchbook with binding on the short edge allows me to create standard landscape formats or panoramic spreads across two pages.

In a sketchbook, you have plenty of compositional options: filling the entire page, working across a double spread, placing your subject off-centre to leave white space, adding a background, or varying viewpoints of the same subject. For example, you might paint a whole tree, then zoom in on a flower or leaf detail beside it.

Materials for Painting Outdoors

I recommend keeping a small kit ready to go. If you have to prepare it every time, you may lose motivation. Take it with you—even on a simple walk. You need to create the opportunity!

And remember to let your materials dry when you get home: palette and brushes 😉

Colours

I personally use a lot of colours, so I opted for a compact but well-filled palette: a box of 12 half-pans with space to add 8 more.

I chose my Complices d’Ondine palette by Les Couleurs VF, to which I add a few colours depending on my mood. It’s also available in two sets: Les Essentiels and Les Subtiles.

I recommend having a variety of colours, but also choosing a palette that suits your current mood—especially if you enjoy non-realistic colour schemes. If you prefer a versatile, realistic palette, I suggest the colours from my Sennelier signature palette, possibly complemented with olive green, phthalo turquoise, Venetian red, Veronese green, vermilion, or phthalo blue for turquoise waters, sunsets, and vibrant greenery. Check out my YouTube video to discover the palette. This is also the palette I use in my course on the basics of watercolour through minimalist landscapes. It allows you to paint all kinds of scenes using a wide range of colour combinations—perfect for a travel journal.

Sketchbook

I use an A6 Hahnemühle Deckle Edge sketchbook, but the Winsor & Newton spiral sketchbook is also very practical and affordable.

Brushes

Travel brushes with retractable handles are beautiful and very practical (they fit perfectly into the centre slot of a 12-pan palette), but they can be quite expensive.

If you’re just starting out, simply use the brushes you’re familiar with and protect the bristles with the original plastic tube. I use a Raphaël Softaqua size 10 and a Precision size 0.

I don’t recommend water brush pens—they’re not very easy to control.

Check out my dedicated blog post for all my recommended materials.

Accessories

• Tissues or a small cloth
• Water bottle and a travel cup or small jar
• Mechanical pencil (for quick guidelines)
• Sketchbook clip (in case of wind)

What about water-soluble pastels or pencils?

If you’re comfortable with them, they’re a great option for a sketchbook.

Personally, I chose to start with watercolour to feel more confident in this new approach. The flexibility of the brush allows for more fluidity and expressive marks. I’ll try these other mediums soon, but for now I’m exploring them in my studio.

If you’re interested, I invite you to check out my article on using water-soluble pastels, or my YouTube videos on dry and wet techniques with Caran d’Ache Neocolor II.

Conclusion

It took me a long time to get started because I was afraid of failing and “ruining” a sketchbook—so I understand!

It may seem intimidating, but in reality, you can take it step by step:

• Use your preferred medium
• Start with simple or familiar subjects
• Choose a small sketchbook
• And above all: enjoy the moment!

If you give it a go, feel free to tag me on Instagram—I’d love to see your journals. And if you have any questions, leave a comment and I’ll happily expand the article!